Monday, April 20, 2015

Rest week ended well, that’s for sure!Friday afternoon was a 2 hour run, which was
really the “biggest” workout all week.Mac was able to get off early, and her run was 1:45, so she decided to
run with me! (and run 0:15 extra, what an over-achiever :))Anyway, we didn’t actually start running until
a few hours later…but it was good times.

Shawn told me to eat during this run.I think he’s actually trying to kill me.A gu at minutes 20, 40, 60 and 90..plus some
water every mile!Here’s the thing—I do
NOT eat or drink, especially when I run!Maybe a gu every hour, if it’s over an hour, and a splash of water if it’s
a race and I’m going through an aid station.Maybe.So, this was a big
deal!But, I sucked it up and decided to
try it (also, I just do as I’m told).

It was…well, I don’t know.It was kind of an awful run, but I don’t think it had anything to do
with all that gu.It never felt good, as
soon as we started.Super strong
headwind made everything feel slow and awkward and just never really got into
it.Eating all that gu was pretty bleh,
and that last one was a struggle…but it was ok.Energy-wise I felt good haha but physically, just wasn’t into that
run.Oh well.Those days happen.I see I have a 2:15 run this weekend, also
with eating all the gu…we’ll see if it
is any better this week.

Saturday was an easy, easy spin, which I did in the morning
to meet up with the crew for coffee (everyone was trail running or road running
or other stuff).So that was nice!I had left my car at Mac’s the night before,
so I rode straight fromhome met with
them and then had my car there.Kyle and
Mic were off to Duthie after that, and Allen was in work training all day, so
Mac and I found ourselves free with our workouts done for the day, and nothing else
to do…at 11am!She said she had an
optional swim, and asked if I wanted to do it.I laughed.A lot.Doesn’t she know that “optional” means “don’t
do it”?Why would I ever choose to
swim?;)BUT, I said I would go paddle boarding.So we did!It was a blast.The sun was out by then and it was so, so
nice paddling the Sammamish river in the sunshine and doing something “different!”We ended up being out there about 1:20, which
was awesome.

Sunday was all about mountain biking!Shawn had put 2 hours on the schedule...but specifically
said “go have fun, ride your mountain bike, enjoy.”Done and done!!!I’m preeeettttty sure he meant to take it
easy and not tax myself, and to not do anything stupid…but instead, I took that
to mean no crazy cross country (or Tiger Mountain climbs), but have fun jumping
off of things!Kyle had his brand new Phoenix
(DH bike), Josh was on the 5.7 and I was on the Mach6 (Josh and I usually ride
hardtails).Squishy, full-suspension
bikes for all!To say we took full
advantage of those bikes would be an understatement.I don’t know how many times we did the gap
jump at the end of HLC—I completely cleared the wooden landing and made it all
the way to the dirt…which, if you know the jump, is crazy-far and way more than
I could ever do on my hardtail!Started
doing the middle drop on Voodoo, and man that thing just shoots you out!It’s not even that high up in the air, but
you fly far!Couple laps on Ryan’s, with
my infamous drop (no problem!)….I had
so much fun.A seriously amazing day, I can’t
even describe it.

It also really, really allowed me to relax.It took all week, but I finally feel totally
rested and relaxed and ready to focus up and get back to ironman training!Not that I wasn’t before, but it wasa nice, much-needed break.And goofing off on the mountain bike really
helped :)

Of course, today (Monday) is a rest day.But that’s ok.This week’s schedule isn’t even too intense
either, just ramping back up again.This
weekend isn’t too bad (long brick on Friday and long run on Saturday are the
biggest things), but then next weekend Mac, Sam and I are heading to Coeur d’Alene
for a girls training weekend!And I’ll
get to ride the course, etc, which will be really,
really good for me since that’s what I’m most worried about/the biggest
unknown.Then after that there is a half
marathon (not sure yet if I’m just running it, or racing it; would like to race
it, but will defer to Shawn’s best judgment), and then we’re just about a month
away until the big day!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

This is a rest week.Truthfully, last week was a little lighter as well (a very busy week but
a very relaxed weekend), but this is truly an easy week :)the last 5 weeks have been around 15 hours of
training per week..and I think this week might
be 9.5 hours.And that includes a 2 hour “go
ride your mountain bike and enjoy!” ride.Totally looking forward to it!

I expected to be a litttttle more antsy, now that it’s
already Thursday and I’ve only done 3:10 total!But I’m totally soaking up every bit of rest that I can.I’m not even sleeping that much more
(although I’m so tired!), but I think just mentally—I’m not having to plan
things out days in advance, and figure out how to fit everything in, and constantly
run over the schedule in my head, etc etc etc.Just focusing on not thinking about it :)That isn’t to say that lots of training is
bad—I totally love it!I just know that this
is going to be a really good little break for me, and I’ll be hitting it hard
again starting next week.

Speaking of—things are starting to get real!!I can’t believe its mid-April already.72 days to go.Which sounds like a lot, but also sounds like
nothing at all.May is the only “full”
month left to go so that’s kind of..weird!I have no idea where the time has gone.

On the one hand, I don’t feel like I’m that much “better”….but
I know that’s not true.If nothing else,
endurance is WAY up, even if I don’t think so!But after those long hours of training, I can always tell “wow if I had
tried this a few months ago, it would have been crazy!”So, there’s that. ESPECIALLY swimming. I may not be fast, but I can keep going..and going..and going. Plus, I know I have a ton more muscle than
before!That’s getting obvious. Hello, legs! And there's even some abs hiding underneath there, too ;)

Anyway, it’s even not too out of the question to start looking
ahead and thinking about logistics!Driving, packing, when, who, etc…I
can’t believe it.I’m so excited.But terrified.But excited.

So back to how this is a rest week.I think things feel so much closer now,
because I know this is probably the last real, solid rest week I will have
until taper time!I’ll probably have a
slightly “less” week between now and then, but nothing like this week.And that is seriously crazy!

I also need to start really focusing on food—yes, while
running and biking :) but also in general, like I really need to quit having like
fifty “treats” a day.I can get away
with it with all the training, but if I limit it to ONE treat (not a million)
it would probably be even better ;)Couple months to really lean down a bit (I haven’t lost any weight,
although I’ve gained tons of muscles so I’m fine with that!), and make sure
everything is happy with my insides!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

I’ve been swimming and biking and running and then more
swimming.Honestly, it’s a lot of
swimming.And biking.And running.Finally seems to really be ramping up—which is great, but also kind of
terrifying!So far so good, though, and
I’ve managed to make it work.I realized
I always get worried when I see the volume go up, but have yet to have any
problems making it sooo..trying not to stress it.Also, I haven’t missed a single workout yet
(except for some strength stuff, which is usually because I forget, and which I
usually make up another day) so that’s actually really encouraging when I think
about it.:)

Loving the new road bike!Trying to get a new tri frame.We’ll
see ;)

This week has been slightly less (but only slightly), but included
a really long Wednesday to make up for not too much this weekend.4250 yard swim, 60 min run (20x0:40 so it
wasn’t exactly an “easy” run) and 90 minute bike (6x6:00 hard, big gear, so
again, not an “easy” bike).But I got through
it all!Super proud of that, especially
since it was a less-than-awesome swim (to put it lightly).I guess
I came back swinging on the run and bike.Especially knowing that I wouldn’t have been able to do so well a while
ago—I was happily surprised at how I was able to still push it at the end of
those hard bike intervals, and proud of my legs :)

Anyway, today is our anniversary!So, heading off home early to get in my bike,
before going out for dinner.I think that’s
why I had so much yesterday, too—I had asked for a weekend day with a little “less;”
for our anniversary I’m giving Allen an entire Saturday that does not include
any training.Except a short swim.Ok, so barely any training ;)

79 days to go and I’m both terrified and..well,
terrified.But in a good way.Focus!